Macra boss fires 3 directors Chitsonga, Lipenga and Msusa amid stinking corruption       

As the country heads to May 21 tripartite elections, Malawi Communications Regulation Authority (Macra) has sacked three top directors amid stinking corruption, Nyasa Times understands.

Macra Director General Godfrey Itaye, whose contract was suspiciously renewed and signed by President Peter Mutharika at Chikoko Bay in December last year, has sacked  Director of Finance Ben Chitsonga,  Director of Broadcasting Fegus Lipenga and Director of Postal Liz Msusa.

The three directors  including the Director General’s were put on a month to month contract in December 2018, but Itaye advertised Directors posts in the local media at a time when Macra board had been disolved.

Itaye, who is accused of syphoning bilions of kwachas to fund the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)  through illegal contracts, manuaevered through party gurus  to have his contract renewed by President Mutharika, since “he is one of the parastatal CEOs helping the party with financial resources”.

The three directors were ambushed with impromptu interviews on Tuesday and Wednesday. They were immeidiately asked to leave Macra premises and to surrender their official vehicles a brand new Toyota Fortuner  for Fegus Lipenga registration  CA 3678, Toyota Fortuner for Liz Msusa registration  BU5599 and Ben Chitsonga’s  Brand New  silver Mitsubishi Pajero registration  LA 621 which are parked at Macra heaquarters.

There has been bad blood between the three directors and Itaye, who was a junior to the three directors but was promoted to become director general as a reward for campaigning for the DPP to get into government in 2014.

Itaye has since run Macra with an iron fist, sacking anyone consisidered a threat.

He unbelievably sacked highly respected Director of Telecoms Lloyd  Momba, Deputy Director General Francis Bisika, Director of Legal Affairs James Kaphale.

Another Technical expert Jonathan Pinifolo was forced to resign by Itaye.

Liza Msusa is wife to Khwesi Msusa, a confidant of UTM president Saulos Chilima who has been very critical of the rot of corruption and nepotism at Macra.

Miniszer of ICT Henry Mussa confirmed the three Directors were sent home to wait for results of their interviews but refused to comment on allegations of corruption rocking Macra- which has been im the news for supplying a fleet of official cars to the tuling DPP for campaign purposes.

Itaye is also accused of hiring his friends and adventists who are also DPP loyalists to the the authority.

Chitsonga, who headed the finance directorate and watched rotting corruption and looting by the DPP, did not pick his phone for an interview.